Saturday, August 11, 2012

5 Good’s & 5 Bad’s from Bucs/Dolphins game

(Author's note: Due to my busy work schedule, I'm not always able to watch the games and do write-ups. For last night's preseason opener, occasional guest-blogger Brian Catanzaro of FinNation.com has granted me permission to post part of his observations from the game. You can continue on to the full article at FinNation.com at the end of this post. Thanks to Brian for filling in!)

In the words of Bill Parcells.. “This isn’t baseball. These guys hit back!”

I know. I know. It’s pre-season. This doesn’t matter. And, yes, you’re right. But there are a few layers of truth to be found in these games as Joe Philbin crafts his first 53-man roster.

I follow 5 core principles when it comes to Pre-season football:

1) Grade players on individual performances only.2) Use individual performances to supplement your current knowledge, not replace it.3) Pay special attention to players who have INCENTIVE to break out and earn respect.4) The score is meaningless at all times.5) Never grade an entire Offensive or Defense. Gameplans are hidden in pre-season, not showcased.

On to the game..

5 Best Performances:1) QB Ryan Tannehill - On 2nd-and-Goal from the Bucs 7 at the end of Q2, Tannehill placed a franchise-caliber TD pass into Roberto Wallace’s breakbasket for a TD (overturned but shouldn’t have been). No Dolphins QB since you-know-who could’ve made such a throw, and it demonstrated everything Tannehill could be. This throw was low projectory, in the rain, and against good coverage. I’ll stick my comparison with Tannehill: a more mobile version of Carson Palmer.